Scallion Oil Bucatini With Runny Eggs
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Here & NowScallion Oil Bucatini With Runny Eggs
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Here & NowSCALLION OIL BUCATINI WITH RUNNY EGGS
SERVES 4 • total time: 50 to 55 minutes (See note) • Developed with James Park
This dish is a celebration of all the crunchy, nutty, pungent facets of scallions, tied together by a lazy river
of creamy, runny eggs with crispy edges. Or instead of fried eggs, you can choose to put a raw yolk on
top of each serving and mix it in as you eat. That’s a common and delicious technique in many Asian
noodle and rice dishes that will make the sauce richer, and it’ll save the time it takes to fry the eggs.
Ingredients
10 scallions
⅓ cup extra- virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
2 tablespoons kosher salt, plus more for the eggs
4 garlic cloves, minced ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
1 pound bucatini (or fettuccine, spaghettoni, or spaghetti)
4 to 8 large eggs (see note)
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest, plus 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus cracked black peppercorns for serving
Finely grated Parmesan, for serving
1. Line a plate with a double layer of paper towels. Thinly slice 5 of the scallions and set aside. Cut the
remaining 5 scallions into 3-inch segments, then thinly slice them lengthwise to create 3-inch
matchsticks. Combine the scallion matchsticks and the oil in a large, high- sided skillet and place it over
medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the scallions are browned, 5 to 7 minutes (reduce the
heat if the scallions begin to darken too quickly). Remove the pan from the heat and use a slotted spoon
or tongs to transfer the scallions to the prepared plate. Remove and reserve 1 tablespoon of the scallion
oil from the skillet, leaving the remainder in the pan.
2. Bring 4 quarts of water and the salt to a boil in a large pot.
3. Place the skillet with the scallion oil over medium- low heat. Set aside 3 tablespoons of the sliced
scallions, then add the remainder to the pan along with the garlic. Cook, stirring often, until the mixture
is fragrant and the garlic is just beginning to color, 1 to 3 minutes. Add the red pepper flakes, if using, and
cook, stirring, for 1 minute; remove the pan from the heat.
4. Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook for 2 minutes less than the low end of the package
instructions.
5. Meanwhile, heat the reserved 1 tablespoon of scallion oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium- high
heat until shimmering. Working quickly, add 4 eggs to the pan, season with salt, and cover. Cook for
1 minute, then uncover and continue to cook to desired doneness (about 1 minute for sunny- side up, or
flip and continue to cook for over easy, medium, or hard). Use a spatula to transfer the eggs to a plate; if
frying more eggs, repeat as necessary, adding a bit more olive oil to the pan if it looks dry.
6. Use tongs to transfer the pasta directly to the skillet with the scallion- garlic mixture and place it over
high heat. Add ¾ cup of the pasta cooking water, the lemon zest and juice, the soy sauce, butter, and
black pepper and toss until the sauce just clings to the pasta but still pools slightly in the bottom of the
pan, 3 to 5 minutes. (If the sauce seems too thick, add more pasta water 2 tablespoons at a time until
the sauce loosens but still clings to the pasta.)
7. Transfer the pasta to individual bowls and top each serving with 1 to 2 fried eggs. Sprinkle with the
fried scallions, reserved sliced scallions, Parmesan, and cracked black peppercorns, and serve. When you
eat it, break the yolk and let it run into your pasta, mixing it around to thicken the sauce.
NOTES: This recipe has you fry the eggs while the pasta is cooking because that’s the most efficient use
of your time, but it does mean you’ll have to work quickly. If that’s going to stress you out, you can fry
the eggs before putting the pasta in the water, but that will add 5 to 10 minutes to the process. When I
make this for my family, we each have two sunny- side up eggs on top, which makes it a hearty entrée,
but you can do one egg per serving if you prefer.
